Aim: To document the prevalence and to evaluate the management strategies of haemorrhagic complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Methods: All patients who underwent PD from 1/2000 to 10/2005 and experienced at least one episode of haemorrhage during the 30 first days postoperatively were recorded. Etiology of haemorrhage, treatment strategy and mortality rate were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 362 patients underwent PD during this period and 32 (8.8%) had haemorrhage postoperatively of whom 15 died (47% mortality rate). Primary intraluminal haemorrhage was recorded in 13 patients, primary intra-abdominal haemorrhage in 5 patients and secondary haemorrhage in 14 patients. Successful management of haemorrhage with angioembilization occurred in 2 patients in the study group. Statistical analysis revealed sepsis and sentinel bleed as risk factors for post-PD haemorrhage and pancreatic leak and sentinel bleed as risk factors for secondary haemorrhage (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Haemorrhage after PD is a life-threatening complication. Sepsis, pancreatic leak, and sentinel bleed are statistical significant factors predicting post-PD haemorrhage. Sentinel bleed is not statistically significant associated with postoperative mortality, but with the onset of secondary haemorrhage. The effectiveness of therapeutic angioembolization was not demonstrated in our study.

Aims: To present the surgical experience in a regional unit, analysing the post-operative outcome, and determining risk factors for survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary and pancreatic head carcinoma. Methods: Data were collected on 251 patients with pancreatic head adenocarcinoma (133), ampullary carcinomas (88) and distal common bile duct (30), between 1987 and 2002. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Clinical, surgical and histopathological records were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis to identify the independent prognostic predictors of survival. Results: Median actuarial survival for carcinoma of the pancreatic head, ampulla and distal bile duct were 13.4, 35.5 and 16 months, respectively; p < 0.0001. On univariate analysis for the whole series, the age ≤60, tumour of the head of the pancreas, lymph node positive, resection margin R1, poorly differentiated tumours, and portal vein invasion significantly decreased survival. On multivariate analysis, poor tumour differentiation, surgical margin, lymph node metastases, and age independently influence survival. Mortality and morbidity were 4.8 and 29.9%, respectively. Conclusions: Pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic and periampullary tumours is the only therapy that may cure patients and can be performed safely in centres with significant experience.

In this study, there was no difference in morbidity between the three modes of venous reconstruction, and overall survival was similar regardless of tumour infiltration of the vein.

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Aims: Neuroendocrine tumours of pancreatic and duodenal origin (NETP) are rare and we present a significant experience from a single centre. Methods: Data was collected on 44 patients who underwent surgery between 1988 and 2002. Since 1997, data have been recorded prospectively on a dedicated database. Results: Twenty-four patients had functioning tumours (16 insulinomas, 3 gastrinomas, 2 somatostatinomas, 1 vipoma, 1 glucagonoma and 1 carcinoid tumour). Nine functioning tumours and 13 non-functioning had a malignant phenotype. Twenty pancreaticoduodenectomies, 9 local excisions, 7 distal and 2 total pancreatectomies, 5 bypasses and 1 exploratory laparotomy were performed. Fourteen patients (31.8%) had surgical complications, 1 died peri-operatively (2.3%). The overall actuarial survival for resected cases was 74.4 and 42.5% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Lymph node invasion and metastases were significant predictors of survival by univariate analysis and only the presence of metastases retained significance on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Surgical resection is the only curative treatment for NETP. Resection can be safely carried out in a specialist centre and is associated with good long-term survival. The presence of metastases was a significant predictive factor for survival in patients with NEPT in this series.